Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Vocabulary list--#21


Holiday season and more words from POSP stringer Tim.

adscititious

ad-si-tish-uhs

adjective

Added or derived from an external source; additional.


amaranthine

am-uh-ranth-un

adjective

1a. Of or relating to an amaranth.
1b. Not fading or dying, immortal.
2. Being dark reddish purple.


animalcule

an-uh-mal-kyool

noun

1. A minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye, as an
infusorian or rotifer.
2. Archaic. a tiny animal, as a mouse or fly.


annulate

an-yuh-lit, -leyt

adjective

1. Having rings or ringlike bands.
2. Formed of ringlike segments, as an annelid worm.


antitype

an-ti-tahyp

noun

Something that is foreshadowed by a type or symbol, as a New Testament event prefigured in the Old Testament.


asseverate

uh-sev-uh-rayt

verb

To affirm or declare positively or earnestly.


aureole


awr-ee-ohl

noun

1. A radiance surrounding the head or the whole figure in the representation of a sacred personage.
2. Any encircling ring of light or color; halo.
3. Astronomy: Corona.
4. Geology: A zone of altered country rock around an igneousintrusion.


bluestocking

bloo-stok-ing

noun

1. A woman with considerable scholarly, literary, or intellectual ability or interest.
2. A member of a mid-18th-century London literary circle: Lady Montagu was a celebrated bluestocking.


bonhomie

bah-nuh-mee

noun

Good-natured easy friendliness.


calorifacient

kuh-lawr-uh-fey-shuhnt, -lor-, kal-er-uh-

adjective

(Of foods) producing heat.


cat's-paw 

kats-paw

noun

1. A light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm.
2, One used by another as a tool, dupe.
3. A hitch knot formed with two eyes for attaching a line to a hook.


conurbation

kah-ner-bay-shun

noun

An aggregation or continuous network of urban communities.


corrigendum

kor-uh-jen-dum

noun

An error in a printed work discovered after printing and shown with its correction on a separate sheet.


crepuscule

kri-puhs-kyool, krep-uh-skyool

noun

Twilight, dusk.


Demogorgon 

dee-muh-gor-gun

noun

A mysterious spirit or deity often explained as a primeval creator god who antedates the gods of Greek mythology.


diathesis

dahy-ath-uh-sis

noun

Pathology: A constitutional predisposition or tendency, as to a particular disease or affection.


enormity

ih-nor-muh-tee

noun

1. Great wickedness>
2. An outrageous or immoral act or offense.
3. Very large size.
4. The quality of great impact or importance.


ensky

in-skye

verb

1. To raise in rank, power, or character.
2. To praise highly, glorify.


eristic


ih-riss-tik

adjective

Characterized by disputatious and often subtle and specious reasoning.


gormless

gorm-lus

adjective

Lacking intelligence, stupid.


irredentist

ir-i-den-tist

noun

1. A member of a party in any country advocating the acquisition of some region included in another country by reason of cultural, historical, ethnic, racial, or other ties.
2. (Usually initial capital letter) a member of an Italian association that became prominent in 1878, advocating the redemption, or the incorporation into Italy, of certain neighboring regions (Italia irredenta) having a primarily Italian population.

adjective

Pertaining to or supporting such a party or its doctrine.


kelpie

kel-pee

noun

(In Scottish legends) a water spirit, usually having the form of a horse, reputed to cause drownings or to warn those in danger of drowning.


lacuna 


uh-koo-nuh

noun

1. A blank space or a missing part, gap, also : deficiency, inadequacy.
2. A small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure.


nidus

nye-dus

noun

A nest or breeding place; especially, a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply.


obsequy

ob-si-kwee

noun

A funeral rite or ceremony.


omnium-gatherum

om-nee-uhm-gath-er-uhm

noun

A miscellaneous collection.


pastiche

pass-teesh

noun

1. A musical, literary, or artistic work that imitates the style of previous work or is made up of selections from different works.
2, Hodgepodge.
3. A place where something originates, develops, or is located.


phantasmagoric

fan-tax-muh-gawr-ik, -gor-

adjective

1. Having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination.
2. Having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern.
3. Changing or shifting, as a scene made up of many elements.


picaro

pik-uh-roh, pee-kuh

noun

A rogue or vagabond.


plenipotentiary

plen-uh-puh-ten-shuh-ree

adjective

1. Invested with full power.
2. Of or relating to a person invested with full power to transact any business.


pol

pol

noun

A politician, especially one experienced in making political deals, exchanging political favors, etc.


polyglot


pah-lee-glaht

adjective

1a. Speaking or writing several languages.
1b. Composed of numerous linguistic groups.
2. Containing matter in several languages.
3. Composed of elements from different languages.
4. Widely diverse (as in ethnic or cultural origins).


prestidigitation

press-tuh-dij-uh-tay-shun

noun

Sleight of hand, legerdemain.


rectitudinous

rek-tuh-too-duh-nus

adjective

1. Characterized by the quality of being honest and morally correct.
2. Piously self-righteous.


sere

seer

adjective

Being dried and withered.


skeigh

skeekh

adverb
 

Proudly.

adjective

1. (Of horses) spirited, inclined to shy.
2. (Of women) proud, disdainful.


slumgullion

sluhm-guhl-yuhn, sluhm-guhl

noun

1. A stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
2. A beverage made weak or thin, as watery tea, coffee, or the like.
3. The refuse from processing whale carcasses.
4. A reddish, muddy deposit in mining sluices.


snollygoster

snol-ee-gos-ter

noun

Slang. a clever, unscrupulous person.


solipsism

sol-ip-siz-uhm

noun

1. Philosophy. The theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist.
2. Extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc., egoistic.


tenuity

tuh-noo-i-tee, -nyoo-, te

adjective

1. Thinness of consistency, rarefied condition.
2. The state of being tenuous.
3. Slenderness.


wroth

rawth, roth or, especially Brit., rohth

adjective

1. Stormy, violent; turbulent: the wroth sea.
2. Angry, wrathful, (usually used predicatively): He was wroth to see the damage to his home.

Vocabulary list--#1

Vocabulary list--#2

Vocabulary list--#3


Vocabulary list--#13

Vocabulary list--#14

Vocabulary list--#15

Vocabulary list--#16

Vocabulary list--#17

Vocabulary list--#18

Vocabulary list--#19


Vocabulary list--#20

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